Up your calories and see results!!!

I struggle with this as well. With a small weight loss goal of 6lbs (from 139 to 133lbs) and at 5'9" I was initially eating too few calories (1200 and not eating exercise calories back) and not losing. Upped my calories to 1500 + some of my exercise calories and lost 2lbs which I then gained them back the next week. Oye. Then went on vacation and gained 5 and immediately lost 4 (water weight). Bottom line - nearly 2 months in and zero weight loss.

I really am at a loss as to how much to eat and how many of my exercise calories to eat back. I work out 5 days per week a mix of running, walking, and heavy lifting with circuits. My Fitbit registers anywhere from 7,000 to 17,000 steps per day depending on if I am biking, running or just doing normal activities - but I have a desk job. I don't know where to put my calories - am I sedentary? I don't think so - but I don't want to double log my exercise calories which a few of the pinned newbie threads warn against. My goal is to lose about 5 lbs so that I can have better definition.

Due to my total and utter confusion, I am mow I am just trying to focus on eating 1400 per day, eating it clean and low sodium (fewer prepared "diet" foods, more healthy fats, higher protein), lifting heavy and eating more if I am hungry at the end of the day. I am going to trust in the process and try to let go of the scale numbers since I do like the way I am looking from the exercise.

I am new, so please forgive my ignorance. Just so I am clear:

When you say increase your calories, does that mean going over the goal that MFP has set for me? For example if is set at 1200 (and I don't workout that day), eat 1400 instead? Or does it just mean to eat back all of my exercise calories as opposed to trying to maintain a larger than necessary deficit?

Thanks! in advance for clarification!

i'm seeing the same thing, mine has been in conjunction with me actually exercising...specifically jogging and running. I saw a 2lb weight loss in a day, and a noticeable difference in my belly size.

Congratulations! I think I iwll follow your example and up my cals a bit although I am really scared to do it...

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Just this pass week I upped my cals but not sure I am doing it right! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

I was eating 1270, I am now at 1510. When I don't exercise I eat pretty close to all 1500 of my cals, when I do exercise I eat about half my calories burned back. So for example yesterday I burned 443 calories and I ate 1522 calories. My net was 1079... ok I can see now that I didn't eat enough lol I actually only ate 1079 in food, not enough right?

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After six weeks of 1200 calories I had lost a total of 1.8 pounds, AND I was exercising 5 times a week. I "upped" my calories the last two weeks to 1500, decreased my exercise to 4 times a week, which was more manageable, and I have lost 3.4 pounds in the last two weeks. A fitness friend of mine suggested I add in the calories, and it worked! I'm not sure why, but I'm thrilled that I can eat more and lose more. I'm planning on sticking to the 1500 calories unless the weight loss slows.

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I have not seen a drop on the scale in over 2 weeks! I think i was starving myself, although i felt full at the end of the day. What made me realize this is i bought ahrm and wore it to work, i burn 900 plus just there and burn 300 in 4 hours just sitting around, then another added 300 to 400 on days i do exercise! I was only taking in 900-1000 daily! I the myself into starvation mode! Although i was set to 1390, i was taking in no more then 1000! so nowi had to bump it up to 1800 daily and I'm freaking terrified that I'm going to jump on the scale and it will break! I guess I'll see!!